With the re-emergence of Chris Horner in the Tour of utah, something about him and a few others makes me wonder about certain riders ability to keep the rubber side down. First of all, I've got nothing but respect for these guys, so know in advance I'm not trying to put anyone down. However CH and a few others (Van de Velde & Evans to name a couple) seem to be continually laying their bikes down. Understand positioning within the peloton is a big factor and sometimes you get caught up in stuff you can't control. But is it just me that thinks some of these guys go down almost regularly. Not paying attention, poor (relatively) handling skills, difficulty in panic situations? Not sure what is is, but a handful of these guys just stand out as crashing significantly more than everyone else.Thoughts?

This topic reminds me of reading that Tyler Hamilton was known to close his eyes with the pain of extreme exertion. He was also known to have issues wit keeping the rubber on the road.

I think going for that last ounce and closing one's eyes to do it produces both better finishes and crashes. They guys who don't crash keep their eyes open and enough reserve to handle their bikes. (Being a strong rider helps a lot here. I could have placed better several times if I were willing to run the risk of tossing caution out the widow, but elected to keep my eyes open and sacrifice a few places.)

Then there are those with poor habits who either were never taught good bike handling or don't care. And I suspect there are fewer "vets" that will chastise those riders than in past decades.

Didn't Evans have a detachable collarbone installed when he was with Telekom? ;>)

It's hard to believe sketchy riders make it too far in the sport, let alone far enough to win the Tour. Could be if you are a winner, people remember you for your wins. But if not, they'll remember you for what you did wrong, like crashing. I would say Cav probably crashes as much as Farrar, but one sticks in my head as a crasher and the other for winning field sprints.

These guys ride on the edge all the time. They are at the mercy of other riders. I don't race, I've had my share of crashes. Some just bad luck, others just bad judgement...I can tell you one thing, old bones don't heal as fast as when you were younger...

I'd think ability to focus versus having an easily distracted personality and reaction speed when $4it hits the fan have as much to do with it than bike handling skills.

I'm an average bike handler but got lightning reaction speed which has kept me out of trouble many times in the chaos of city traffic. That same reaction speed kept my wallet out of the $4itter yesterday, caught it in mid-air before it hit the rim.

Not only are some riders crash prone because they are poor bike handlers but I think some riders get stuck riding in poor positions because they are disliked. Could be true of Evans when he was younger. I think he's always been clean. Maybe that's why he didn't do well at telecom or lotto? How is it lancy pants could avoid crashing all those years then was skidding around his last tour. Others had enough of him?

With the possible exception of Mauricio Soler who no longer races, all of the pros are pretty amazing bike handlers. You really can't race at the pro-tour level and not be a good bike handler.

Sometimes I think people focus so much on the physical abilities of the riders, they forget how much skill is also involved. In any case, there is a lot of luck involved in racing as well, and some guys just get the raw end of the deal when it comes to crashes.

Nightfiend, hmmm, I'd say there's no question but that riders are hitting the deck more often now than in the past. The Grouch across the street thinks that my generation (late 90s to late 2000s) is the one in which the decline occurred. Maybe he'll comment himself. His basic premise is that too many of us, both and and women, came up in these years without having been taught anything. Instead, we were measured, analyzed, monitored. The idea of coaching changed from "put your foot here, your hand here, your hips there" to "don't forget to attach your files." But neither of us disagrees completely with your remarks. The riders are and always have been, generally speaking, fine bike handlers. The trouble is, getting through a corner safely and quickly has only fractionally to do with "handling." It's mainly about rote technique, which is something quite different.

Lance 1-7 also had a bodyguard, often Eki, in addition to not having to breathe hard while in the peloton. Easier to stay upright when you're not seeing stars.Ditto Chinook on the Froome-stem link. LOL!